The process of growing produce for ultimate consumer purchase involves many stages. These stages include produce growth, cultivation, harvesting, transportation, and commercial display, where each stage is independently important to the end result.
Currently, the standard process for growing hydroponic produce is to use a trough system or floating Styrofoam system. In some circumstances, if these devices are to hold a plug of growing medium, it is generally in a small plastic cup that has limited other applications. Once harvested, the produce is generally placed in a plastic shell container that completely encloses the product. The product is then shipped and displayed in this manner, which can be unattractive and obscure the quality of the product. In an alternative process, produce may be loosely shipped and displayed without a protective cover on a produce rack but requires constant mist hydration to keep the product wet. In either case, the stages of the process are disjointed and require an added expense of refrigeration during transportation and display.
Finally, in some instances such as herb growth, products may be harvested and shipped in a flimsy plastic sleeve with water in the base. However, because the sleeve is not rigid, water often spills during transportation or display which can lead to premature spoilage of the product.
Once a consumer purchases produce, the consumer must often refrigerate the produce in order to keep it from spoiling. This not only uses energy, but takes up limited refrigerator space.